Possible vent gleet or normal?

[Ashannon91]

Hi! This is my 3.5 RIR. She hasn’t laid probably since first week of September 2024 and previously a solid layer. It’s like her eggs sputtered out… they got a little smaller and more poor in quality and then stopped. I thought maybe stress, we had some girls leave the coop around that time and then winter came. Still not laying. She has poopy butt quite a bit. I cleaned her up recently and it came back. I’ve dewormed at least twice in 2024. Doesn’t seem to change anything. Thoughts? Been feeding a pretty expensive local layer crumble and leaving out oyster shell (more recently - used to just feed black soldier fly larvae treats for calcium and protein). I can’t tell if it smells weird or just a little like chicken poop lol

 

[Eggcessive]

Some hens have a runny poop that cannot quite clear the vent area, and once it gets stuck on the feathers, more may cling. Unless you see raw excoriated skin around the vent with feather loss, that is not vent gleet. I would try to slightly trim any soiled feathers and then clean her up again. A 5 gallon bucket or dishpan of warm soapy water works well. Try feeding a probiotic a couple of days a week, such as a commercial one or give a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt with live cultures. Some hens may drink more water which can lead to more liquid droppings. In hot weather the soiled feathers can attract flies and may cause fly strike a deadly infestation of maggots. It seems like in a flock 1 or 2 birds may always have a dirty vent, so just watch out. Stress in a flock is a common cause of eggshell issues, but exposure to infectious bronchitis virus is also a common reason for that as well as reproductive disorders. Here is a good article with possible causes of egg shell problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

 

[Ashannon91]

Thank you! I will definitely try some yogurt! Do you think the length of time with no laying is normal for the age (3.5 RIR)? This is my first flock (raised from chicks) and they were all laying pretty well through last winter minus if they were in a heavy molt.

 

[2 Acres]

Some hens have a runny poop that cannot quite clear the vent area, and once it gets stuck on the feathers, more may cling. Unless you see raw excoriated skin around the vent with feather loss, that is not vent gleet. I would try to slightly trim any soiled feathers and then clean her up again. A 5 gallon bucket or dishpan of warm soapy water works well. Try feeding a probiotic a couple of days a week, such as a commercial one or give a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt with live cultures. Some hens may drink more water which can lead to more liquid droppings. In hot weather the soiled feathers can attract flies and may cause fly strike a deadly infestation of maggots. It seems like in a flock 1 or 2 birds may always have a dirty vent, so just watch out. Stress in a flock is a common cause of eggshell issues, but exposure to infectious bronchitis virus is also a common reason for that as well as reproductive disorders. Here is a good article with possible causes of egg shell problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

"In hot weather the soiled feathers can attract flies and may cause fly strike a deadly infestation of maggots."

I lost 2 RIR's to this.... back to back. Most RIR's are geared for commercial production. Especially if you get them from a farm store. IME...the best chickens to get are usually gotten directly from a hatchery... by mail order. The upcharge for getting the chicks vaxed is minimal.... And worth it. Especially for Marek's.

I recommend Murray McMurray... and as a second recommendation Hoovers.I also concur with Eggcessive with the use of Yogurt.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you! I will definitely try some yogurt! Do you think the length of time with no laying is normal for the age (3.5 RIR)? This is my first flock (raised from chicks) and they were all laying pretty well through last winter minus if they were in a heavy molt.

Hens their first year may well lay all through winter, but after that they seem to need around 12 hours of daylight to continue laying. I have used a small light in my coop on a timer for a couple of extra hours before daylight, and that helped the hens to lay through winter. At 3-4 years some breeds may slow down in laying. Has your hen begun laying again yet?

 

[Ashannon91]

Hens their first year may well lay all through winter, but after that they seem to need around 12 hours of daylight to continue laying. I have used a small light in my coop on a timer for a couple of extra hours before daylight, and that helped the hens to lay through winter. At 3-4 years some breeds may slow down in laying. Has your hen begun laying again yet?

Nope! Still not laying but acting completely normal. I did a google search on RIRs and was surprised to see the following: “”Rhode Island Red hens typically lay eggs for 1–3 years, but some can lay eggs into their fourth or fifth year. “”